Our Engineers Share Hackathon Tips

Goldman Sachs Engineering participates in a number of hackathons during the course of this year. Below we share some tips from engineers at the firm who have been hackathon mentors in 2017:

Leverage Your Mentors

“Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask for guidance, whether that’s chatting about your project ideas, debugging code or even listening to a practice demo. The mentors are here to help you.”

“We know how tempting it is to code down to the last minute but it’s just an important to prepare for how you explain your idea and project to others. At some point before the deadline, spend some time together as team to practice your demo/final presentation.”

- Jessica, Goldman Sachs Engineering, 2017 HackMIT Mentor

Make Sure Your Hack Works

“Functionality first! Before trying to add new features or expand on your idea, make sure your hack works. One fully fledged feature is better than a bunch of semi functional ones.”

“Divide and conquer. If you’re working with a team of people, try to divide up the work. (e.g UI vs Backend) This will speed up your hack!”

- Andy, Goldman Sachs Engineering, 2017 PennApps Mentor

Demo, Demo, Demo

“Always demo – even if the app is unfinished or horribly broken. You worked all weekend on something, show it off!”

“It doesn’t have to be over after the hackathon – there’s nothing stopping you from taking that almost-done app and finishing it for yourself in your free time.”